Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster

It’s hard to believe that it’s now almost 10 years since we first launched this project on GlobalGiving! Since then your incredible generosity has helped the many communities that make up Banaba prepare for disaster in so many ways.

In our last report for example we described how our amazing partner Buklod Tao had sprung into action to provide hot meals after typhoon Karding. While these meals were provided in response to a disaster, this was only possible because of your previous support in completing the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Center, where the local “Community Kitchen” volunteers are based.

As well as helping to make the Center watertight, your generosity has enabled us to provide it with other vital equipment, including a solar water purifier, a water tower and private cubicles so that families could safely seek shelter in the building during typhoons. The building’s function as an Evacuation Center proved vital in late 2020 when typhoon Ulysses struck. 

And while less obvious, the Center’s role in providing Livelihood opportunities is also vital, because poverty and vulnerability are often closely linked.

That’s why, again thanks to your fantastic support, we’ve provided Buklod Tao with things like sewing machines so that community members can manufacture products like shopping bags and slippers for sale.

The practical support your donations have helped to provide to vulnerable families is beyond question, and we’re now hoping you’ll consider supporting this project one last time.

This is because we’ve recently made the sad but necessary decision to close down our charity, International Disaster Volunteers (IDV) in early 2023. This is because we’ve been entirely run by volunteers for over 5 years, and this is now becoming unsustainable.

However, Buklod Tao’s incredible work will continue and we’re aiming to raise as much as we can to support their efforts over the Christmas and wider Holiday season.

Donations received during this period, along with that already in hand with us, will be used to either make further improvements to the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Centre, or to support Buklod Tao’s general project and operational costs moving forward.

So, although IDV will no longer be directly involved after the next few months, this is our chance to help create a lasting legacy in Banaba. We know money is tight for everyone right now, but if you can please consider making a gift this #GivingTuesday.

You can find out more about our plans to close down IDV on our website, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I’d be delighted to hear from you as always.

Thank you so much for helping Filipino communities prepare for disaster!

These preparations proved vital recently when Super Typhoon Karding swept through the island of Luzon in late September.

Karding, known internationally as Noru, brought maximum sustained winds of 195km/h and gusts of 240km/h, and was one of the strongest typhoons to make landfall this year. Over 700,000 people were affected in 1,768 barangays, and almost 12,000 sought shelter in evacuation centers.

The community of Banaba, near Manila, was one of those affected and in Karding’s aftermath many of its poorer residents struggled to support themselves while also having to deal with the cleanup.

Happily, thanks to your support - including an incredibly timely donation of $1,000 from one generous donor - our partner Buklod Tao was able to spring into action to help.

Volunteers from Buklod Tao activated their “community kitchen” to provide hot meals to those in need.

Distributions started in Visayas Avenue, North Libis, where residents received hot soup, and the following day a porridge with grains of corn mixed with coconut milk was served to 43 residents.

Day 3 saw meals served to 65 recipients at Pangad Compound, and during day 4 chocolate porridge was served in sition Laylayan.

Corn porridge was served again on days 5 and 6 - across both days 137 residents in Banaba Extension Phase 2 received food.

Distributions continued on days 7 and 8, this time providing hot soup to children in Baybay Ilog 2 and corn porridge to 62 mothers and children in North Libis - Gitna - Brgy.

In total almost 500 nutritious meals have been provided to survivors of typhoon Karding, and none of this would have been possible without you.

We’ll keep you posted as our work in Banaba continues, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I’d be delighted to hear from you as always.